Army to assist in farming project, clarifies Punjab govt.

The Punjab government has issued a clarification on a news regarding the allocation of more than 45,000 acres of land to the Pakistan Army for a farming project.

A senior government official, on the condition of anonymity, said: "From the onset, it should be clear that the ownership of the land remains with the Punjab government."

He said that 'the Pakistan Army is only providing a management structure; the corporate sector and local farmers will also be involved in the cultivation process.'

He explained that the agreement between the provincial government and the army was over a joint venture for the cultivation of barren land.

'These lands have remained uncultivated for years and need a strong management system to make them fertile. The efforts required are beyond the capacity of a group of individuals - institutional support at multiple levels is required to make these huge swathes of land productive,' he maintained.

The official said that the most important feature of the agreement was that while the ownership of the land would remain...